The Argo II
by SaraMcLane
Summary: How can something so simple turn into a tragedy within seconds? Piper learns the hard way when she's stuck on the Argo II with horrors ahead. Leo screws up the map coordinates and forces the ship towards complete and utter disaster. With no help for miles away, the Argo II ends it's last adventure with horrendous ending, leaving Piper confused, scared, lost, and heartbroken.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO or HOO. Wish I did!**  
>I sat on my bed, pulling my knees to my chest, crying. I was on the Argo II, waiting for dinner. It had been months since I'd seen Jason. Eleven months to be exact. I was silently crying, thinking about the day that I left Jason to go on this quest:<p>

_"Piper, you'll be okay." Jason said, comforting me. I had my face pressed against his broad chest. "I-I don't want to leave you, Jason." I sobbed. Jason was holding back tears. "Piper...I...you...you'll survive." He whispered, stroking my hair. I closed my eyes. "What if I don't?" I bawled. Jason sighed, letting a single tears stray from his eye. "Piper...you will. I know you will. And I'll be waiting for you. Don't worry." He smiled weakly. I wiped a tear away. I nodded slowly. Finally, Annabeth, from behind me, said, "C'mon, Pipes. It'll be okay." She had to pry me away from Jason. I remembered him waving, and the Argo II sailing off._

"Piper? Coach Hedge just finished dinner. Are you going to eat this time?" Annabeth's voice jolted me back to reality. She was standing in the doorway of my room. I looked up. I was starving since I hadn't eaten last time. "I guess." I mumbled, wiping the tears from my eyes. Annabeth noticed how I looked. "Thinking of Jason again?" She asked. I rubbed my face. "Yeah."

I followed Annabeth down the hall into the dining room. Everyone sat at the long oak table. Leo and Hazel sat at the end of the table. Nico, Conner, and Katie sat on the left side. Travis and Percy sat on the right, next to an empty seat. I sat by myself at the other end. Annabeth sat in the chair next to Percy. Coach Hedge started to pass around everyone's food.

I got a plate of roast lamb. I only ate half of it. After we all finished, Coach Hedge stopped us before we went to our rooms. "Um...can have all of your attention?" He started. I looked at Coach Hedge. "As you know, we've been traveling for about...eleven months." He said. A few of us groaned. "I'm glad to announce that we will be going back to Camp Half-Blood tonight." We all gasped. I screamed, "Wait! Tonight? Like, right now tonight? Oh my gods!" Everyone stared at me. I felt myself shrink back. "Um...I mean...yay?" I shrugged. Coach Hedge cleared his throat. "Before I was interrupted, I was going to say that, yes, we should be back home at ten o' clock." My whole spirit lifted, and I shot up from my chair. "I'm going to go get ready for tonight. I hopped away, literally _hopped_ away.

When I got to my room, I started to pack up. I grabbed my dark blue suit case and tossed things in. Jeans, tops, blankets, pictures of me and Jason. As soon as I was done, I zipped it up and danced my way down the corridor.

As I walked, a sudden _BANG! _shook me. I slammed into the wall, and I felt the Argo II start to tip. I heard Annabeth screaming, "EVERYONE HOLD ONTO SOMETHING!" I clutched the railing that ran across the wall, and another _BANG!_ jerked me around. Shouts and screams echoed through the whole boat. I saw Annabeth slide across the floor. She quickly got up and searched for something to hold. "Annabeth!" I yelled. Her head shot up and she ran towards me. A sound like something barreling through a wall, boomed through through my ears. Annabeth stumbled and tripped over her feet. I looked both ways, and I let go of railing. I grabbed her hand. "C'mon!" I shouted, and helped her to her feet. More booms blasted the Argo II. We both held onto the rail. "Annabeth, what's going on!" I cried. Annabeth looked terrified. "Leo steered us right above an erupting volcano! What was he thinking? That idiot!" She yelled. "Well, what's happening to the ship?" I screamed. Annabeth bit her lip. "I-I don't really know! I just saw a splash of lava and a few huge rocks heading towards the-" The ship doubled over and sent us sprawling on the floor. "Valdez! What's happening with the controls?" I shouted to Leo, who I could see at the other end of the corridor. "I don't really know, but-HOLD ON!" Leo suddenly grabbed at the helm and the ship lurched up. A huge _BAM! _hit the bottom of the Argo II. "What was-" Suddenly, the ship's bow dipped down, and a horrifying view of steam, lava, and rocks plunged towards us.


	2. Chapter 2

Leo flipped his lid.  
>We were about a mile away from the volcano opening, when Leo started pressing every button, flipping every switch. "Calm down, Leo!" I shouted. Leo turned, his face full of stress, exhaustion, and fear. "What can I-"<p>

"MOVE!" Coach Hedge plowed Leo to the side. He jerked up the helm, straightening out the ship. We might've been staying straight, but we were still falling faster than light. Leo looked confused and stunned. He got up and ran out of view. "What's going to happen?" I whispered to Annabeth. She was shaking. "Something bad." She whispered back. Coach Hedge slammed his fist down on a red button. He ran out of view. "Hedge! Man the helm!" I heard Leo's voice from somewhere. Hedge didn't go back to steering. Instead, he started scream for everyone to stay calm. "But we're all going to-"

Annabeth grabbed my arm before I could finish. "Take this!" She yelled over the choking sound of the engine. She slipped off her backpack and handed it to me. "What do I do with-"

"Where it!" Annabeth pleaded. My eyebrows lifted. "Why would I where a backpack when we're about to die?" I asked. Annabeth pointed a small string hanging from the side of the backpack. "Pull that when you're falling!" She yelled. "Falling? Who said that I'm going to be-"

Annabeth grabbed my arm and raced down the corridor. "Wait-why are we-" Annabeth stopped at a window. The window was as about ten feet tall, and two feet wide. Annabethh grabbed her dagger and smashed the glass. Cold air pounded my face. "Go!" She said and then smiled weakly. "Tell them about us, Piper. Tell everyone at camp about how we went out. Tell-" Suddenly, the Argo II dipped down, forcing us to fall on our faces. We clambered to our feet. "Tell them!" Annabeth thrust her hand to my back. I wobbled and fell from the Argo II window. "Annabeth!" I screamed, managing to twist myself midair and grab the edge of the window. "It's alright, Piper! The backpack is a parachu-"

I lost my grip and plummeted. I pulled the string from the backpack, and a big purple parachute popped from the pack. I was relieved at first, but then I saw the entire body of the Argo II plunge into the volcano. I heard screams from the ship as smoke and flames engulfed the ship. Tears streaked down my cheeks. Memories flashed through my head. Sobs filled the still air. I whimpered the names of all my friends that died only a few horrifying seconds ago. Soon, I landed on the ground. I laid on my side, bawling the names of the my loved ones. Mortals gathered around me. A girl, maybe thirteen, asked me if I was okay. I groaned. A man asked me if I needed an ambulance. I mumbled something even _I_ didn't understand. Before I knew it, medics were carrying me into an ambulance, me still sobbing and moaning.

I was in the hospital when I stopped crying. I was laying in a bed, nurses and doctors checking my pulse and and looking for broken bones. After it was all done, the doctor came in. "Well, you're fine. No broken bones and your heartbeat seems normal. We're going to send you home. We'll set you with a taxi.

I got home, the taxi driver snapping at me the whole way. "Why are you crying?" He asked at the last stop. I tossed my head back and closed my eyes. The truth was, I stopped crying hours ago. Now, I was just faking it so I wouldn't have to pay the driver. I got dropped off at Jason's house, paying the driver more than I wanted to. I opened the door, and saw Jason. He was cleaning the kitchen counter, a wet sponge in his right hand, a glass cup full of red wine in the other. He saw the door open and looked my way. He gasped. He dropped the glass of wine, red liquid spreading across the hardwood floor. "Piper! Is it really you?" He sprinted up to me. "Yes, Jason. I'm-"

Jason kissed me before I could say anything.


	3. Chapter 3

"Piper...oh, I missed you so much. Why didn't you call me? You didn't...you didn't do anything. I thought you were killed." Jason admitted after he stopped kissing me. I took a deep breath and pushed Jason away. "I'm so sorry, Jason. I missed you _so_ much. You would not believe what Annabeth would have to do to make me..." I realized what I said. "What? What happened?" Jason asked me. I swallowed hard. "Piper?" Jason asked again. A single tear rolled down my cheek. I shook my head. "Annabeth died. She saved my life." I shut my eyes, remembering her voice. "I'm so sorry, Pipes. But, it's not like _everyone_ died. It was just her...right?" Jason asked me. Tears slid down my face. "No. They all died. They're all gone...forever." I sobbed and put my face in my hands. I wept as Jason rubbed my back. "What caused that?" Jason asked concerned. I told Jason how Leo flew the Argo II over a volcano. I told him about the ship and how it kept on dipping down. I told him about Annabeth and me and when she pushed my from the window. "That's how I got here. I used her parachute." I finished and wiped tears from my eyes. Jason looked crushed. "Oh, Piper..." He hugged my tightly. "I'm so glad that you're okay." He wept into my hair. "I...I love you, Pipes." I felt wet tears drip into my hair. I pushed Jason away softly. "I love you, too." I whispered, my voice shaking. Jason smiled weakly. "Thanks. I've needed that ever since you left." He said. I let him wrap his arms around me. He rocked me slowly to the side and back. For a while, we just stood like that. Staring at the wall, rocking from side to side, savoring each others' warmth. Suddenly, Jason spun me around so I was facing him. "I've needed to do this since we met." He pushed his face towards mine, and our lips locked. The kiss was passionate and loving. After a while, when I couldn't breathe, I pushed away. "That...was...-"

"Awesome." Jason smiled. I sighed. "Jason, I need to do something." I said and turned around. Jason put his hand on my shoulder. "Like what?" He asked. I swallowed hard, turned back around, and smiled. "I have to tell everyone about them. How they went out." I put my hand on the door and pushed it open. Jason nodded and gave me a salute. I smiled at him, grateful to have survived. Then I grabbed the hood of my hoodie, swung it over my head, and ran towards old Camp Half-Blood. The place I knew all too well. The place where heroes like Annabeth, Leo, and everyone else was raised. The place where everyone would know the names of the heroic campers that will live on forever.


	4. Chapter 4

We all sat around a campfire. Me and Jason both sat on a log, while everyone else sat on other logs. The fire blazed through different colors every minute. Purple, pink, yellow, and green. After we all settled down, it turned orange Chiron whistled to get everyone's attention. "Campers? I have called her for a very important reason. You all know Jason Grace and Piper McLean, correct?" Chrion asked. Everyone nodded, except this girl. Her hair was blonde and her eyes were grey. "Um...I don't, Chirone." She said. Chiron grunted. "Bethany, it's Chiron. And, these are two of my campers from a few years back. I wish for you to grow up like these heroes." Chiron explained. Jason smiled, but a layer of guilt settled on me. This girl looked _exactly_ like Annabeth. Years younger, yes. But other than that, she was an exact match. I stood up. "Chiron, we came here to give you all news." I said before Chiron could keep talking. Chiron nodded. I began. "You all have heard of these eight campers. Nico, Hazel, Leo, Conner, Travis, Percy, and Annabeth." I said. Bethany stood up and waved her arm. "I know Annabeth! She's my sister!" She yelled. My heart sank. "I...I...I can't do this." I said quickly and ran off towards the cabins. I looked for the Aphrodite cabin. Even though I didn't go to camp anymore, I needed to be here. It was like my second home. I swung my head from side to side, searching for a big pink cabin. I finally stopped running. The cabin in front of me, the Aphrodite cabin, looked exactly the same as before. It was still pink and huge. The roof was a deep shade of magenta and glitter rained over the sides. I slammed the door open, and ran inside. I saw my old bed. Way in the back, with the name, Kellie, written in cursive on the head joint. I yanked the covers off and laid down. I buried my face in the pillow and cried. I heard shouts from outside, but I had locked the cabin door. My memories clogged my mind. I wanted to forget about all these things. All my friends. I wanted to start over. That's when I got an idea. A sat up in the bed and looked up at the ceiling. "Aphrodite? Mom? I can't take this anymore. I need you to help me. Give me a potion or something. Give me amnesia. I don't care, just make this nightmare end." I prayed to my mom. I turned over and buried my head in my pillow. I willed myself to fall asleep...

In my dream, I saw Aphrodite. We were in Circe's Spa, Aphrodite sitting in a salon chair. Her golden hair was swept over her shoulder. She was wearing a flowery white dress, the top laced with pearls and diamonds. She turned in chair to face me. "You called?" She asked. I nodded quickly. "I need you to erase my memories." I said. Aphrodite stood up. "Piper, dear. I cannot do that. Erase your memories? That's horrible." She told me in a hushed voice. "No, mom. With everyone dead, I can't take it." I cleared my throat. "Please." Aphrodite shook her head. "Are you sure, darling, you want _all_ of your memories to be erased?" She asked me. I thought about it. "Not my memories with Jason. And I'd like to know I'm still a demigod. Could you do that?""I smiled weakly. Aphrodite frowned. "Very well." She twirled her hand up in the air, and a shimmering vile of purple liquid appeared on her hand. She brought it to her chest. "Take this, sweetie. When you drink it, you'll lose your memories just like that." Aphrodite snapped on Just. "And, remember, I love you." She smiled. I nodded. "Thank you, mother." I said. Aphrodite sighed, said goodbye, and handed me the vile. As soon as I took it, I woke up.

I was laying in my old bed, the vile on a dresser next to me. I sat up and saw everyone around me. I swallowed. "Sorry, guys." I said. A girl that waS my age pushed through the crowd. She had curly black hair and her eyes were a deep blue. "Sorry to _them?_ Be sorry to _me._ 'Cause that's _my_ bed." She crossed her arms and snickered. I nodded and said sorry. I quickly got up from the bed and ran outside, the vile in hand. I heard heavy foo steps behind me. Jason's voice cracked the still air. "Piper! Wait up!" He called. I stopped suddenly, he slammed into my back. He dropped the ground and coughed. "Thanks." He said exaggeratedly. I smiled and helped him up. "I told them the story." He said. My spirits fell. "Oh...well, look." I held up the vile. He grabbed it. "Whoa. What is that stuff?" Jason asked, handing it back. I shook my head. "It erases my memory. I'll still remember you and that I'm a demigod, but nothing else. Aphrodite gave it to me." I explained. Jason cocked his head. "Why did you take it?" He asked. I swallowed hard. "Because I wouldn't be able to live with that heartache for all my life." I said. Jason nodded and rubbed my arm. "Whatever you want, hon." He told me. I nodded and popped the cork from the vile. I looked around one more time. "They live on." I smiled and sipped the vile's content. The purple liquid tasted bitter and stale, like an iced coffee that was left in the sun for a few days. When finished, I handed the bottle to Jason. My vision blurred, and I dropped the vile before Jason could take it. The glass shattered, my head pounded, my vision darkened. I slumped forward and Jason caught right before I blacked out.


	5. Chapter 5

I awoke in a bed. Jason was at my side, talking to me. "Piper? Piper, can you hear me?" He was asking. I coughed. "Yeah, Jason. I can hear you." I murmured. He smiled and patted my shoulder. "I knew you would wake up." He grinned. I rubbed my head. "Where am I? How did I...wait...I can't remember anything." I admitted. Jason nodded. "I know. Well, I'm your boyfriend." He said. I scratched my forehead. "Somehow, I know that. I also know I'm a demigod. I just can't remember anything else." I told Jason. He rubbed his ear. "That's because you took this potion from Aphrodite since-" He stopped. "Never mind." I shrugged. "Whatever, Jason. At least I can remember you, and _I_ chose this to happen, I'm sure I had a reason." I wrapped Jason into a hug. He sighed. "Sounds good. Well, I know why you did this, and when you told me about it, you didn't want me to tell you after this happened." He explained. I nodded. "Okay, well, I guess I'm going to go to the store or something, but thanks Jason." I shrugged ad got up from the bed. I walked out the door, feeling relieved. I had nothing to fear, nothing to make me sad. I was completely happy. I would never know why I had wanted my memory erased, but now I was better. Add I would stay that way for a long time.


End file.
